Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adults in the United States. While cardiovascular disease is a common concern for many people, but the good news is that there’s a diet that can help. The Mediterranean diet for heart health reduces the risk of strokes and enhances your general bloom.

This heart-healthy dietary pattern emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, whole grains, green vegetables, and lean proteins while minimizing processed foods, sugar, and saturated fat intake. It is a delicious and satisfying way to keep the risk of heart disease in check and lead a satisfactory lifestyle. This blog will help you discover how a Mediterranean diet can nourish your body and soul!

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, Dr. Mathew Cheung and Dr. Peter Lin discuss the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. In this post, you will learn what is the Mediterranean Diet and what are the cardiovascular benefits of this diet for your health.

The Mediterranean Diet is a term referring to diets based on the historic eating habits of people who live around the Mediterranean Sea. According to the American Heart Association, which recommends this type of diet for cardiovascular health, its key features are:

• high intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and legumes
• low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fish, poultry, non-tropical vegetable oils, and nuts
• limited added sugars, sugary beverages, sodium, highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, and fatty or processed meats.

The concept of the Mediterranean Diet began in the 1950s. That’s when an American researcher named Ancel Keys began the Seven Countries Study. This study spanned decades. It investigated links between diet and cardiovascular disease around the world.

As part of the study, Keys and his team looked at eating patterns in Greece and Italy in the 1950s and 1960s. They found those eating patterns were linked with lower rates of coronary artery disease (compared with eating patterns in the U.S. and Northern Europe). Thus, the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet was born.

So, if you follow a Mediterranean Diet today, you’re eating like people did in certain Mediterranean countries in the mid-20th century. Research shows those patterns have shifted over the years and no longer hold true in many Mediterranean countries.

There are visual pyramids and other guidelines that show you how to put a Mediterranean Diet into practice. A dietitian can help you review such resources and explain how to use them in your daily life.

The Mediterranean Diet includes many different nutrients that work together to help your body. There’s no single food or ingredient responsible for the Mediterranean Diet’s benefits. Instead, the diet is good for you because of the combination of nutrients it provides.

Think of a choir with many people singing. One voice alone might carry part of the tune, but you need all the voices to come together to achieve the full effect. Similarly, the Mediterranean Diet works by giving you an ideal blend of nutrients that harmonize to support your health.

A Mediterranean Diet is good for your cardiovascular health because it:

1. Minimizes Inflammation. Fruits, vital grains, leafy vegetables, figs, fibers, and seeds all make up an anti-inflammatory element in the Mediterranean diet. Such foods help minimize inflammation and prevent artery blockage.
2. Decreases cholesterol. Healthy fats in the Mediterranean diet, such as fish, almonds, and olive oil, can help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
3. Reduces blood pressure. The Mediterranean lower sodium and potassium content diet helps reduce blood pressure levels.
4. Encourages weight loss. The Mediterranean diet contains enormous amounts of protein and fiber that aid in fulfilling satiety and lowering calorie intake. Weight loss may help reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
5. Promotes gut health. The high fiber content of the Mediterranean diet may foster the development of good gut bacteria. A healthy gut is linked to reduced inflammation and improved heart health.

The Mediterranean diet is a nutrient-dense diet that stimulates heart health. While restricting red meat, refined sugars, and processed foods, it emphasizes fresh produce, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, seafood, and olive oil. A few of the components that support heart health are listed below

• Veggies and Fruits – Fruits and healthy vegetables are lavish with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which lower inflammation, raise blood pressure, and maintain healthy blood vessels.
• Fiber-Rich Grains – The high fiber content of whole grains, such as brown rice and wheat bread, assists in reducing cholesterol levels and lowering the likelihood of heart disease.
• Legumes – A wonderful source of fiber and plant-based protein, legumes like beans, lentils, and chickpeas are known to lower cholesterol levels and enhance coronary health.
• Nuts and Seeds – Nuts and seeds provide healthy fats, fiber, and plant-based protein, which can help to reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol levels.
• Fish – The heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and greatly lower the risk of heart disease.

Here are some simple tips for adopting this delicious and heart-healthy way of eating

• Swap out refined grains for whole grains
• Intake of more fruits and vegetables
•  Pick healthy fats
• Flavor with herbs and spices
• Reduce your intake of processed foods
• Enjoy wine in moderation

1. Can the Mediterranean Diet be vegetarian?

Yes. If you prefer a vegetarian diet, you can easily modify the Mediterranean Diet to exclude meat and fish. In that case, you’d gain your protein solely from plant sources like nuts and beans. Talk to a dietitian to learn more.

2. Can the Mediterranean Diet be gluten-free?

Yes. You can modify recipes to exclude gluten-based products. Talk to a dietitian for recipe ideas and support in making necessary changes.

3. Can I use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin olive oil?

Regular olive oil is a good alternative to oil that’s high in saturated fat (like palm oil). However, to get the most benefits, opt for extra virgin olive oil.

A crucial fact to know before starting the Mediterranean Diet is that not all olive oils are the same. The Mediterranean Diet calls for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), specifically. That’s because it has a healthy fat ratio. This means EVOO contains more healthy fat (unsaturated) than unhealthy fat (saturated). Aside from its fat ratio, EVOO is healthy because it’s high in antioxidants.

Antioxidants help protect your heart and reduce inflammation throughout your body. Because it’s manufactured differently, regular olive oil doesn’t contain these antioxidants.

4. Can I eat pizza on the Mediterranean Diet?

It depends how you prepare it. Many American-style pizzas are high in sodium, saturated fat and calories. These aspects make it less than ideal for meeting your Mediterranean Diet goals. Instead of ordering out, try making your own heart-healthy pizza to get more nutritional benefits.

5. Can I eat foods from non-Mediterranean cultures?

The Mediterranean Diet describes eating patterns in one specific area of the world. That doesn’t mean you should exclude foods and recipes from other cultural traditions.

It’s important to develop an eating plan that’s healthy for you physically, emotionally and socially. The Mediterranean Diet offers a way of eating that research links to many health benefits. This diet focuses on general patterns of eating. It doesn’t ask you to scrutinize every single food choice or eliminate specific foods.

So, there’s room to adjust the Mediterranean Diet to your preferences and cultural traditions. This might mean keeping some traditional recipes the same (no ingredient substitutions) and eating them only on special occasions. Some recipes might be just as tasty and special to you with some substitutions (like olive oil instead of butter, or extra herbs instead of salt). Working with a dietitian can help you decide when and how to make substitutions or other changes to your meaningful recipes.

6. How does lifestyle relate to the Mediterranean Diet?

To get the most from your eating plan, you should also try to:

• Exercise regularly, ideally with others.

• Avoid smoking or using any tobacco products.

• Prepare and enjoy meals with family and friends.

• Cook more often than you eat out.

• Eat locally sourced foods whenever possible.

At Vascular Care Specialists of Los Angeles, we strive to provide the best service, care, and results possible. If you have circulation problem related to your arteries or veins and would like to seek consultation with a vascular surgeon, give us a call at 626-275-9566 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit us at www.vcsla.com for more information.